Shoe-tree



Aug. 21, 1923.'

o. J. HOWE SHOE TREE File'd July 2l 1921 Fatented Aug@ 2l 192,3,

omi/*En af. grown, on encarnan,-etassacrrnsnrrs iissrsrea'ro raawiarnnnr LAST censeur, or encourent, Messncirusnrfrs, le. conreiaa'rronj er' MASSACHUSETTS.

stron-frane.

. Appiieatioa filed .muy 2i,

To aZZ whom/t may concern: Y j

Be it known that I, OLIVER J. `Howie, a

Vcitizen of the United States, Vresiding at Brockton, in the county or" Plymouth. and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Shoe Trees, of whichthe followingv is a specification. .j

This invention relates to improvements in Shoe trees; V"dore especially it relates to trees 0r forms adapted for insertion in shoes to keep them in proper shape during manufacture, wearing.

The present invention has among its objects the provision of a simple shoe tree .vhichwillY maintain a proper gentle outward pressure on the inner-surface of the shoe; and which is sutliciently adjustable to be used Vindiiterent sizes of shoes, varying either in length or in width, or both.y These objects are attainedby providing a shoe tree having asplit fore part whose sections are hinged together near 'its .toe and are acted upon near their rear by a spring extending transversely between them and tendingv constantly to spread them apart. A heel part is adjustably connected vte the fore part by a T-member having a tubular head about .which the spring is strung and a mid-leg hinged to the heel portion. Slots formeel in the head receive pins from the sections of the -tore part in suchmanner as to transmit .the expansive torce 0iV the spring, prevent the sections from spreading too far apart, and so to lock the parts together, and to maintain the heel connection projecting at the predetermined angle. Tt is intended thatV the patent shall cover. by suitable. expression 'in the appended claims whatever features of patentable noveltyA exist in the invention disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a bottom plan of a tree con-VV structed in accordance with lthe-present invention; w

Figure 2 is a view `partly `in section onv line 2 2 otFigure l;

Figure 3 is a section through the fore L part, as on line33 of Figure 2; 'Figure 4 is a section showingV a modifica-` tion of the connecting member.

Referring to the drawings, a fore'part is divided substantially along its longitudinal axis into sections 10 and l2 movably condisplay and in interValsbetWeen i921. j sei-iai no; 486,418.

nected near their toe endsby an ordinary cord hinge 14e, and having near4 their rear ends opposed'apertures .i6 and 18 each extending into one ofthe fore part sections from the elett between them. lnthese apertures a spring-20 `is held in compression between the sections, extending helically between Vthe cylindrical walls of the aperture andthe cylindrical surface ci a tube 30. which extends loosely across the cleft-trom one section tothe other, with its ends retained in the apertures by pins22 and 2st, which asillustrated, may be crdinaryjnails, driven across the aperture from the bottom of the tree through slots 26 and 2S in the said tube 30. Theseslots are lengthwise of the tube and serve. bothY to permit and to limit the movement of the sections to and trom each other. The rit of the spring and tube within the apertures is sufficiently loose to perinitfree rocking movement of the sections on the Jforward hinge, yet is ysui'iiciently tight to maintain them substantially in register with each other. At the middle of thetube where it is crossing thecleft, an 3l is rigidly-connected to it passing out from the tube between the fore part sections toward the rear, forming with the tube, a T shapedxmember of which the tube 30 constitutes the head andthe arm 3l constitutes the leg.' The arm 31 has an endwise extension comprising` a tube 32 pivoted thereon by a pin 33. lVithin this tube a plunger 3e' may telescope so that a heel part 36, at* tached to the end of' the plunger 34 may be set away from the fore part to a desired efttent in order to abut against the inner surface at the rear of a shoe und may be secured by athurnb screw 36 whose shank passes through aslct 38 in the tube, there lbeing a clamping shoulder 39 en the screwi In Figure i a modification of the connecting member 'is shownwherein a spring 40 is placed within the sleeve 32 so as yieldingly to torce the plunger and heel part rearward, with travel limited by a lpin42 projecting from the plunger within the slot 38, until the heel part' presses against the wall of theshoe.

yWhen beingV placed in the shoevthe heel part-is swung upwardabout the pivot 33,

. andthe fore part of the tree pushed bodily into the tore part et the shoe. This causes the portions i0 and l2 to contract together at their rear, swinging about the cord hinge at the toe as a pivot and coinpressingthe` springrQO between them. VVW'hen the tree has thus been pushed as far forward into the Vshoe as is possible, the heelpart is swung down into the shoe until the parttpresses f against-the inner rear Vwall of the shoe. It' the connecting member shown in Figure 2 is used, the length to which the heel part-- must extend to provide a close tting enf gagement with the shoe may be irst estimated, and the plunger then lockedV posi-'- tion with respect' tothe sleeve by the thuiiib screw 36. This may apply any desired degree of further stretch t'oi'e and aft. li the spring connecting member shown `in Figure 4 is used, the heel part 36 will adjust itself firmly against the 'shoe applying the pressure ot the spring to stretch the shoe. It is obvious. that when'V thus placed inthe shoe the fore part et the tree will constantly'tendto spread laterally under the influence of the transverse spring 20, there by exerting const-ant pressure. sidewise` on the upper ot" the shoe and both the iore partV and the heel part will exert pressure lengtlr Wise, due either to the longitudinally acting spring 40, or the tight [it of the tree when forced in. The constant and gentle pressure will tend to maintain the shoe in proper shape.4 Y Y 1 I claim: y -1 i 1. A shoe tree comprising a tore part, having longitudinal sections connected at their toe ends by a hinge whose parts are secured to said sections and to each other and therebyprevent the spreading oi" the said' sections at the'toe; combined Vwith a spring spreader arranged between theiear ends oft said sections and tending constantly .toV spread theni'; a heel part; and a. T-sliaped connectingeleinent whose headv porti-on isa cross rod which loosely engages said sections of the iore part and holds said spreader in place between them., and whose leg portion connects the heel pait therewith..v

2. A. shoe tree comprising a forepart Ahaving sections hinged together near their toey ends' and having a spring at their rear ends tending to swing them apart laterally about A the toe hinge.; a heel part; and meansconnecting the two foreparts and the' heel part.' together and adapted to liiiit said swing.

A shoe tree comprising a torepart di-Y i vided longitudinally into sections, having a hinge near the toe end and having a coiled spring interposed between the sections near their rear, yieldingly to expand the sections laterally, the said spring having its endshoused in sockets in the forep'art sections; a heel part and means connecting said heel part :and Vforepart comprising a rod with ends in said sockets,l aboutv which the said spring is coiled; there being slots in. Vsaid rod adapted to co'act with pins penetrating ,27e i f Y theni trein vthe sections to permit and toliiiiitV the expanding movement .ot thesections.

A-shoe tree coinprisi'ng'a torepart having sections hinged near theiriorward ends Y a coiled spring neartheir rearjendspartly Y housed infa socket ineachsection, adapted Vto Y exertV constant pressure tendingl to move said sections apart; aheel part at a distance `frein thefterepart and 'havingv a connecting member pivoted on anaxis to the rear of said itorepart and i oining inea-iis comprising a iioi'ilrotatable tubular ineinber floating laterally in said sockets and having an arm extending rearward and pivoted to said heel connecting member.

5. Ashoe tree comprisinga fore part having longitudinal sections, a heel part, and a connecting element having a leg and across head; the said connecting elementi having its cross head engaging the sections of the 9 Y i tore part so as to hold them together; there '-85 being onrit an elastic spreading devicetending constantly toscparate the torepart' sec-V tions toward a predetermined limit; and the leg` thereof being connected' tothe heel por- 90 tion. Y

6. A a forepart divided longitudinally into see-g tionshinged togethernear their -toe ends,

, and having near their vrear end'sa socket iii z Y each section extending transversely to theirl plane of cleavage; spring interposed between said sections lying partly within each socket; a tubular 'member lying within said spring, extending into said apertures,` and having slots in its shellparalleljto its' axis; a pinV in each section pass-ingthroiigh the sockcttliereof and through one of said slotsIr said pins vconstituting abutments for the ends of said spring; an ar'in'onsaid member proj eeting rearward between'convolutions of '100 thejspring and between the sections of the lore part; a'connecting member pivoted on said arm ati-the rea-r of said. forepart, so asto swing in the plane oif'cleavage of the fore'- part sections; and a heel part adj.- ustably se-V .110

cured to said: yconnecting Y ineniliieiin` 7. A shoe tree comprising a torepart' hav'. ing sections hinged near their forward ends; a coiled spring near their rear ends partly housed in a ,socket in each section, adapted' 115 "to exert constant pressuretending to move saidsections apart; a heel pai-t at a distance from the forepart and having a connecting Y member pivoted `on an. axis. to the rear of said forepart; and joining means'cornpris ing a T-meinber withthe ends of its headV extending non-rotatably Yinto 'theY` orepart sockets,A 'and-.with the leg of theT havingfr pivotal connection with the connecting inemberofithe heel part'. f A. Signed at Brockton, Massachusetts, this eighth da--y'o'ic JulylQQl. Y l f OLIVER J. HQ'WE.

`shoe tree comprising inconibination 

